"In Flanders Fields"
John McCrae
Background: “In Flanders Fields,” written by John McCrae, is a poem of remembrance and reminiscence. It was originally published in 1985, and soon became one of the most well known poems of the First World War. The poem itself is an invitation for the lone survivors of the war to recognise why the fallen has passed, thus their deaths will not be in vain.
Structure: The structure of the poem uses a French form that dates back to the 13th Century, now recognised as rondeau. A typical rondeau consists of 15 lines, each line made up of 8 syllables. There are three stanzas in a rondeau. The beginning words of the poem is repeated twice throughout the poem in a four syllable refrain (marked as C in the rhyme scheme). The rhyme scheme is: AABBA AABC AABBAC. If you read McCrae’s poem again whilst taking more notice of the structure of the poem, it is clear that he follows the form of a rondeau quite accurately. However, the poem is written from the perspective of those who have died in the war.
Lest We Forget: The poppies, which were mentioned in the beginning of the poem, grew abundantly in Flanders. During the war, they were a sign of death, as poppies flourished from freshly “watered” blood of the war. Nowadays, it has a long association with Remembrance Day. Remembrance Day occurs each year on November 11th, where innumerable citizens fall silent to commemorate and remember those who have died serving their country. It symbolises hope and is an opportunity for the nation to reflect upon the negative impacts that conflict leaves in our society.
Symbols: In the poem, McCrae makes a direct references to nature - “The larks, still bravely singing, fly, scarce heard amid the guns below.” (McCrae, 4-5) The freedom and beauty found within the manner in which birds soar through the wild blue yonder contrasts with the unfortunately overpowering immoral actions of men.The second stanza of the poem describes how those who served for their country in the war have not died in vain - for they have lived a fulfilled life and died a courageous death. Finally, the last stanza encourages those who have lived to continue the fight bravely; to hold the torch high. A torch is often considered an inestimable object of pride that illuminates the way forward.
“In Flanders Fields” is a poem that will be remembered for years to come, just like those who have fallen during the war.
Just by looking at the poem, I think you could’ve added a more creative title as just the name of the poem does not evoke many powerful feelings. Additionally, I like the way you added your poem in at the start, I think a more powerful lead image would have been good. You used many blogging elements, including subheadings, bolding and short paragraphs, which is good and makes the post easy for the readers to read. I really like your analysis of the poetic/literary devices as well as your explanation of the poem’s form and genre, as it really contributes to the understanding of how the structure affects the theme and overall effect of the poem. I think you could’ve gone a bit more in depth into the themes of the poem, such as passing on the torch. Overall, well done in creating an engaging blog post for the reader. -Charlotte
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